Global stocks fall as bond yields surge, oil rises sharply

Global stock markets experienced a decline on September 24, as oil prices surged sharply and US bond yields increased due to inflation concerns. Leading up to the market downturn, world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly, yet they offered little promise of resolving conflicts in the Middle East. After several days of declining stock prices, North Sea Brent crude prices rose 3.86% to $103.08 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 1.81% to reach $92.16 per barrel. The benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 5.11%, marking its highest level since 2007.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant message at the UN, asserting that Iran would never "bend at the knee" to the US, despite ongoing tensions and the conflict's persistent nature. In a contrasting turn, President Donald Trump suggested he was considering whether to "annihilate" Iran, although he later endorsed resumed discussions with Tehran.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones fell 0.68%, the S&P 500 slipped 0.75%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.13%. The Federal Reserve's recent decision to raise borrowing costs provided some comfort to traders who were wary about the Fed's pace of rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation. Angelo Kourkafas, an analyst at Edward Jones, stated that investors now anticipate the Fed to continue raising rates, rather than a single instance of increase.

Additionally, the lack of a clear solution to energy market challenges, alongside UN commentary and recent headlines, further dampened investor sentiment regarding geopolitical risks.

Hopes for a successful resolution to enable Gulf oil and gas to flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz faded as global leaders convened in New York. John Kilduff of Again Capital noted that the recent meeting between Iran and the US yielded little concrete progress. Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, remarked that a sudden spike in oil prices had unmasked investors' complacency towards inflationary pressures.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that global economic growth remained resilient in numerous countries despite the ongoing war, prompting a slight revision upward of its economic output forecasts for 2026. European stocks faced a setback, with the Frankfurt stock exchange declining 0.7%, Paris dropping nearly 0.5%, while London remained unchanged.

Asian indices also witnessed a decline. In Hong Kong, the stock market closed down 1%, unaffected by news of Chinese tech giant Alibaba expanding its overseas data centers. Shanghai experienced a modest 0.4% decrease. South Korea's tech-intensive Kospi and Taiwan's Taiex index, which is home to the leading chipmaker TSMC, saw a near 1% gain.